


Where It Starts

by leonheart2012



Series: Mates - You and I [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-10
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 10:36:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6514654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leonheart2012/pseuds/leonheart2012
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brett hears Liam's howl first and gets to him before Scott. He panics and jumps in the well, carrying Liam out. Liam then starts acting strangely and asks for the help of Satomi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Rescue

Brett was still recovering from his wounds when he heard Liam's howl. He jumped up from his bed, startling Lori. "Don't worry - I'll be back soon." He didn't bother getting dressed. He ran down the front steps and started running in the general direction of Liam's howl. When he reached the edge of the woods, he let out a howl of his own, hoping that Liam would answer. His leg still hurt a bit, but he pushed on. There was an answering howl just seconds after Brett's had risen into the late afternoon sky.

Brett listened closely and sprinted off to find Liam. He saw a well opening and looked down. Liam had just fallen down. Without thinking about it, Brett jumped down. He landed with a splash. "What happened?"

"Garrett hit me with his wolfsbane poisoned blade. It's healed over, but the wolfsbane's in my system now."

Brett looked at Liam's chest. The wound was, indeed, healed over. He looked up at the opening of the well. "Can you climb up?"

"You don't think I've been trying? By the way, you're an idiot for coming down here. You'd have been more help up there."

Brett scowled at him for a moment before realising the truth of those words. He laughed, earning him a concerned look from Liam. "I guess you're right." An idea formed in his mind. "Hop on my back." Liam raised his eyebrows at him. "Trust me."

"Why would I?"

"We don't have time for this, Liam. Get on my back and I'll get us out." Liam reluctantly wrapped his arms around Brett's neck. He hesitated before pulling his legs around Brett's waist. Once Liam was secure, Brett extended his claws and drew on his strength.

He hauled them most of the way up, and then Scott's face showed over the rim of the well. He looked confused to see Brett there. Brett kept climbing up and reached the top of the well. He tumbled over the edge, landing on his hands and knees with none of his usual grace.

"Are you guys okay?" Brett panicked when he felt Liam's weight being shifted off his back. He turned and pulled Liam against his chest, growling at Scott. He instantly backed off, holding his hands up. "Okay. Not touching Liam. Did Garrett get you too?"

"No. And...sorry for the growling. I just...I heard him howl and panicked, you know?"

"Yeah...anyway, we should get him to Deaton."

"Okay." Brett took Liam, now unconscious, in his arms and carried him to Deaton's place. He laid him on the table and held his hand as Deaton ran a scalpel down his chest. "He'll be okay, right?"

Deaton flashed him a warm smile. "Yes. He just needs some rest."

"Thank you." Brett gathered Liam up and turned to leave. "I'm taking him home. I'll ask Mason to tell his parents he's staying with him. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine." Brett called Mason while he walked back to his house. It was a bit awkward, because he was also carrying Liam, draped in his arms like a sack of potatoes.

"Hey, what's up?" Mason's voice sounded sleepy.

"Sorry if I woke you, but I need you to tell Liam's parents he's spending the night with you."

"I was just going to bed. Is...what's happening with Liam? Is he not staying at my place?"

"No, he's staying with me." Mason dropped his phone.

"He's what?" Mason exclaimed. "Let me talk to him."

"You can't. He's unconscious."

"What? Why? Why are you taking him home? Did you get him drunk? If you got him drunk, you are in so much trouble, mister."

"No, I didn't get him drunk. He's just asleep. I'm taking him home because he got himself drunk, and I thought his parents wouldn't appreciate that."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would he want to get drunk? That's not like him at all. What's really going on? And don't lie to me. Liam's been avoiding that question for the past few months. What's happening? What really happened?"

"Mason, if Liam isn't ready to tell you, he's not ready for you to know."

"Are you two dating? Is that what this is about? Are you the reason he disappeared today? Was he with you? Does Scott know you found him? Is he okay? Is he on steroids?"

"What? Steroids? Why would...listen, Mason. I'm driving right now, and I can barely understand anything you're saying. Scott knows I found him. There was another few questions in there, I know, but I can't answer right now because I'm-"

"Driving. Yeah, right. Okay, hanging up now, but you owe me some answers. Call me back as soon as you're safely inside." Mason hung up without waiting for an answer. Brett sighed and pocketed his phone.

Brett entered his house and was met by Lori. "Who's that?"

"Liam."

"Ah, the cute guy who got kicked out of school? What's he doing here?"

"He's not cute, and he's a werewolf. He got poisoned by wolfsbane. He's okay now, but he's staying with us, just to make sure. Can you watch him for a minute? I've got to call someone."

"Okay."

Brett called Mason. "Is he okay?"

"Yes. And before you launch into a huge list of questions, only give me one at a time."

"Alright." Mason took a big breath, calming himself. "Are you dating?"

"No, but I care about him."

"Okay...did he really get drunk?"

"No, but I don't think he want me to tell you the truth. He'll tell you when he's ready. It's big, though. You should just give him space."

"Why do you know, and I don't?"

"Because we have the same...affliction. I'd tell you mine without hesitation, but that would tell you what Liam's got."

"So it's a disease?" Mason sounded concerned.

"Not exactly. I was born with it. Liam got it recently. No more questions about that. we're both fine, and Liam will tell you when he's ready."

"Was he with you today? He ran off ahead of me, but I couldn't find him anywhere."

"He wasn't with me, no. I don't know where he was." That was a small lie. If he told Mason that Liam had spent the day in a well, Mason would want to know why. That would mean eventually telling him about werewolves. "Listen, there aren't many more questions I can answer without telling you what's going on, and I'm not going to do that. So, just know that Liam's okay, and that he'll eventually tell you what's going on, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know he's okay. I'll...I'll see you later, right?"

"Yeah. Talk to you later, Mason." He hung up and went back to where Liam was. He was writhing on the couch, whining. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. He just started doing this a few minutes ago." Lori sounded as worried as Brett felt.

"Okay." Brett was panicking for the third time that day. He knelt down next to Liam, and he immediately quietened down. His eyes snapped open.

"Brett." Liam pulled himself up and started nuzzling Brett's cheek. Brett frowned at this behaviour. Liam kept nuzzling him, moving from his cheek to his neck. Brett's eyes flew wide when Liam's tongue flicked out and licked his skin.

"Liam, what are you..." Liam shifted his face to the other side, pushing his nose into Brett's hair. He rubbed his cheek against Brett's causing the skin to heat up. Liam's lips dragged across Brett's skin, sending shivers up his spine. "Lori, call Satomi."

Lori ran to call Satomi. Seconds later, her head popped out from the door frame. She's coming. A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. Lori went and opened it. Satomi was there. She came into the living room where she saw Liam now rubbing at Brett's chest.

"What's he doing?"

"He is scenting you."

"Scenting? Why?" Liam whined and pulled back, sniffing around Brett's shoulders. He seemed satisfied, because he kissed Brett's cheek and sat back on his haunches.

"Because you're mates. He might not have displayed this behaviour before because you had not shown his wolf that you could protect him. Did you do anything recently that would have showcased this trait?"

"Yeah...I rescued him from a well, where someone had put him after stabbing him with a blade dipped in wolfsbane. After I'd gotten him out, Scott tried to take him from me and I growled at him. I know it wasn't my place to, but..."

"Yes, this might have been what set this off."

"Well, how do I fix it? How do I make him stop...being like this?" Liam had just a few seconds previous frowned and started rubbing his cheek against Brett's neck again.

"Make the scent stay. Accept his scent as a part of your own. Different wolves have a different way of doing it. Sometimes it is through sex, sometimes it is by biting, sometimes by hunting together, sometimes by just kissing. I would guess, though, that your method, just by how he is behaving, will be biting. Try it."

Brett hesitated for a moment before letting his fangs drop. He used his left hand to pull Liam's head to the side. He sank his teeth into Liam's neck, and was surprised by how complete he felt. Liam's teeth sank into Brett's neck, and the feeling was orgasmic. Brett slid his fingers into Liam's hair. Liam pulled back and looked at Brett. He smiled before pressing their lips together.

Liam pulled back quickly. "What did we do? What happened?"

"Liam...we're mates. We just-"

"No." Liam started to panic. He tried to push Brett away, but he tightened his arms around him.

"Liam, Liam, listen to me. Liam, you were poisoned by wolfsbane. Do you remember that?"

"Yes." Liam was still squirming, but he seemed calmer now.

"Okay, then, I jumped down the well where you were and got you out. Do you remember that?"

"Yes." Liam stopped squirming and Brett loosened his grip.

"Then, Scott tried to take you, but I growled at him. Do you remember that?"

"No." Liam pushed back against Brett's arms and Brett let him go. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I was panicking. I heard you howl and I had to find you. You howled back when I howled for you. I jumped into the well with you. You told me that it would be better if I'd stayed up at the top of the well. I told you to hop on my back, and you did. When I got up, Scott was there, and he tried to pull you off my back. I turned around and pulled you to me and I growled at him. I was...I couldn't have you taken from me. I don't think I could have handled that."

"I called Mason. I didn't tell him anything. He's worried, though. When I came back from calling him, you were whining, and when I kneeled next to you, you started rubbing up against me. I didn't know why, so Lori called Satomi. She told me that you were scenting me, and that to make you stop, I had to make the scent stay. I asked how, and she told me that there were a few ways to do it."

"I tried biting, and you bit back. Then, you kissed me. And now we're having this conversation."

Liam frowned and bit his lip. He leaned forward and extended his fangs. He flicked his eyes up to Brett's before biting him again. Brett sighed and let his own fangs dropped. He sank his own teeth into Liam's neck, where he'd done it before. He felt totally complete again. Liam pulled his teeth back and kissed up Brett's neck.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this, but I'm ready to try this. That felt...good. I...I...am I in your house?"

"Yes. I thought you'd stay the night. Will you?" Brett felt nervous all of a sudden.

"Yeah. Sure." Liam pushed his face into Brett's neck and wrapped his arms around his waist. Brett pulled Liam closer and took him upstairs to his room.

"Goodnight, Liam." He kissed Liam's forehead and Liam sighed.

"Goodnight, Brett." He sank back into Brett's pillows. Brett lay down next to Liam and pulled him against his side.

"Are you alright with this?"

"Yes. I'm okay with kissing, too, if you want to do that." Brett smiled and kissed Liam softly. Liam rolled on top of Brett and kissed him again, letting his lips linger. He kept kissing him, doing so almost all night. He fell asleep against Brett's chest, and Brett smiled down at him. _He might not know how he feels about it, but he certainly likes kissing._ He fell asleep not long after, feeling happy.


	2. A New Puppy

Liam woke up just as the sun started shining through Brett's curtains. He was always an early riser, and today was no different. He looked down with a smile at Brett. It was Thursday, so he had to go to school, but he wanted to talk to Mason before he did anything else. Brett looked really peaceful, and Liam didn't want to wake him, so he slid off his chest. He gently kissed Brett's forehead as he left. He really didn't know what to do about this, but he was secretly glad he was going through this with Brett. Brett was an attractive guy, and Liam had never told anyone, but he'd always harboured a crush on his former teammate.

 _He looked cute asleep. I wish I could have taken a picture, but I don't have my phone. I'll probably get plenty of chances, in any case...I hope I do._ Liam quietly descended the stairs and left, running to Mason's house.

  


Liam knocked on Mason's door. Mason wasn't a morning person, so he took a while to get to the door. He opened it, looking groggy. "What?"

"Hey, Mason. I wanted to talk to you." Mason's eyes snapped into focus at Liam's voice.

Liam was immediately wrapped in a crushing hug. "Liam! Are you okay? What happened? Where did you go?"

"Shh. It's okay. I'm gonna tell you everything. We might be a bit late to school."

"Yeah, sure, come in." Mason practically dragged Liam up the stairs and pushed him to sit back on his bed. He pulled up his desk chair and looked at him expectantly. Liam's shoulders slumped and he pushed his friend's face away. "Okay, fine." Mason jumped out of his hair and sat down next to Liam. "What's up?"

"Well, when I hurt my ankle, I was in the hospital and I heard something. I went to see what it was, and I was attacked by Sean Walcott. He tried to eat me. I...Scott came to save me, but in all the mess, I was holding onto the roof with only one hand. Scott bit me to save me from falling, but in doing so, I became a werewolf."

Liam paused to let that sink in, and Mason looked shocked. "You're making all this up."

"Nope." Liam flashed his eyes at Mason. Mason's own eyes widened. "See? All true. Things have been happening and I don't really want to tell you all of it, but yesterday Garrett hit me with his car and poisoned me with wolfsbane. I'm okay now, but...he put me in a well in the middle of the woods so that Scott couldn't find me. I howled so that he could find me, but Brett came instead. This is where it gets complicated."

Liam sighed and put his head on Mason's shoulder. "Brett jumped into the well with me to take me out. When he did, Scott was there. And...when Scott tried to take me, Brett wouldn't let him. Then, when they took me to Deaton to get the wolfsbane out, Brett took me to his house. You know he called you then. After he did, I was really distressed. He knelt by me and I...God, this is awkward to say. I-"

"Liam?" Brett burst through the door. "Liam." He gathered Liam up in his arms. "I woke up and you were gone. I freaked out. Don't do that to me."

"I was only coming here. Besides, I have school today."

"Liam." Brett pushed his face into Liam's neck and inhaled. He sounded really distressed. He sat on the bed and pulled Liam into his chest, wrapping his legs around Liam's waist.

Mason was watching the exchange with wide eyes. "Wow, that is so weird. What happened?"

Liam sighed. "We're mates. All werewolves have one, and mine's Brett. That's why he didn't want Scott to take me." Brett let out a low whine at the thought. "Last night, when I was distressed, Brett knelt by me and I-" Brett pushed his face against Liam's cheek and rubbed the skin. "Did that. It's to make him smell like me, and me smell like him." Liam let his head fall to the side, and Brett sank his teeth in without hesitation. Liam sighed at the feeling. His fangs ached to be in Brett's flesh too, so he brought Brett's right wrist to his lips.

"You bite each other?" Liam nodded, Brett's wrist still captured between his fangs. "That's so weird. So...did you...have...you know?"

"No, but there was a lot of kissing." Brett took the side of Liam's face and turned it to him. He kissed him softly. Liam sighed happily into the kiss, turning into it. He pulled away reluctantly. "We spent the night doing that a lot. Anyway, we should get ready for school." He didn't want to leave Brett's embrace, but he did.

"I actually want to talk to Scott before I go. Can I use your phone, Brett?"

"Sure." Liam took Brett's phone and dialled Scott's number.

"Hey, Scott. It's Liam. I wanted to talk to you before going to school. Can I come by your house?"

"Yeah. Sure. I'll see you soon, right?"

"Yeah, I'll be there in ten minutes." Liam gave Brett his phone back. "Stay here while I talk to Scott, okay? I'll come back before school." Liam kissed Brett.

"I want to talk to Satomi. I'll come back here when I'm done, okay?"

"Okay." Liam smiled and kissed him again, forgetting that Mason was there. He was surprised by how much he really didn't want to leave. He kept their lips pressed together until Mason cleared his throat. "Sorry, Mason." Liam gave him a hug before leaving.

Liam arrived at Scott's house ten minutes later. He knocked on the door, and Scott opened it. "Hey. How are you doing?"

"Good, but, listen - Brett's my mate." Scott's eyes widened. "We mated last night. We didn't have sex, if you're worried about that. But, if you inhale my scent, I'll smell like him." Scott inhaled, and his eyes went even wider.

"He's talking to Satomi now, but I was wondering if you knew how to handle it, or what to expect."

"No, but Deaton might. Sorry, but we're going to have to go there. He doesn't have a phone. But I have yours. I got it from Garrett." He handed Liam his phone, which he pocketed.

"I don't mind if he can help." They took Scott's bike to Deaton's clinic. They came in and Deaton saw them immediately.

"What can I help you with?" So Liam told Deaton about what had happened yesterday. After he'd finished, Deaton frowned. "I have to admit that I've never encountered werewolf mates. However, by the way he acts, it seems as though he's going to want to be near you as much as possible."

Liam groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. "Of course he will." He tipped his head back and sighed. "Any other wisdom you can depart before I go to school?"

Deaton shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you any more than that. Satomi might know more, but I doubt it. It's really rare for a werewolf, especially a bitten wolf, to find their mate. You're really lucky."

Liam smiled and thanked Deaton. Scott took Liam to school and they arrived just as the bell rang. Liam went to his locker and was greeted by Brett.

"Hey Liam."

Liam groaned internally. While he was glad Brett was here, he wasn't ready to let everyone know that they were dating, and having him here would be endlessly distracting and infuriating. "Don't you have school?"

"I transferred. Satomi worked it out. I have almost all my classes with you." Brett looked really proud of himself. Liam shoved his head in his locker as far as it would go and moaned. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, Brett. I'm fine. Just so long as you don't ask me to sit in your lap all day."

Brett, to Liam's horror, perked up at this. "Would you?"

"No." Liam said quickly. He slammed his locker shut and sighed.

Brett turned Liam around and kissed him. "You're not happy. Do you not want me here?" He looked hurt and worried.

"No, I want you here. I just...this is kind of suffocating, Brett. We started dating _yesterday_. You can sit next to me or whatever, but can you keep the physical contact to a minimum, please?"

Brett's eyebrows drew together over sad eyes as he stepped back. "Okay."

Liam felt his heart sink at Brett's expression. "Please don't look so much like a wounded puppy. I just need a bit of space."

"Yeah. Okay." Brett looked close to tears. Liam sighed and wrapped his arms around his waist. He still looked and smelt sad, but he seemed to perk up at the contact. Liam pulled away and went off to his first class.

  


"Ah, you're here. Students, this is our new student Brett Talbot. Please make him feel welcome." Brett gave a small smile and wave. Some of the girls at the back of the room giggled.

Liam felt a low growl building in his chest. Brett placed his hand on Liam's shoulder. "It seems like you two know each other already. I guess you can then show Brett around, Liam."

"Yeah. I'll do that." Liam felt comforted by Brett's hand on his shoulder. He pushed back into it. Liam walked to two empty seats and sat in the one on the left. Brett sat on his right. On his way there, he heard one of the girls giggle and say that she wouldn't mind making him feel _welcome_ \- whatever the fuck that meant.

Liam felt himself bristle at that, but he glanced over at Brett, who was still looking at him like a wounded animal, and decided that teenage girls were the least of his problems. _Why does he keep looking at me like that? How am I going to tell my parents that I have a new puppy? Are they even going to let me have him?_ Liam supposed that it wasn't really fair to call Brett a puppy, but it was hard not to, with the way he was looking at him and following him around. Liam noticed that he trod carefully, as if he had an injured paw. Liam felt a rush of regret. _He even walks like he's wounded._

The rest of the class went by mostly uneventfully, but Liam could feel Brett's sad eyes on him the entire time. It made him feel unbelievably guilty that he'd made his mate feel so upset. He realised that they were both feeling terrible, and he took Brett to their next class, which was study hall. They got there before anyone else.

"Brett, you still look upset. This...I don't know what to say to you. I've never had a boyfriend or girlfriend before, so I have no idea what I'm doing. Even if I had, I doubt I would be able to deal with this...look, I want you to be happy. Mostly because you being unhappy makes me unhappy. So tell me why you're upset."

"I'm upset because you don't want me here."

"Brett, I told you that I'm okay with you being here-" He stopped talking when the girls from his previous class came in and waved at Brett. All he really wanted to do right then was drape himself over Brett, but he wasn't ready to let them know they were dating yet. He folded his arms over his chest and pouted until they'd passed by. They sat down a few metres away and took out their books.

"He's cute. Go talk to him, Melissa."

"No, he's probably not interested in me." _He'd better not be._

"Go. Just say hi." The other girl urged. Melissa stood up, nervously fidgeting with her skirt as she walked over.

She'd just opened her mouth to say hi when Liam pulled Brett away. He took him to the back of the library, noticing that the girl trailed doggedly behind them. When he stopped, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Um, hey, Liam. I just...can I talk to you for a sec?" Her eyes flicked to Brett. She ran her hands through her hair - an unconscious habit, Liam guessed. Brett moved away, still looking hurt.

"Brett." Liam reached out, but he was too late. Brett had already ghosted himself away and sat in a chair, picking up a book at random and opening it. Liam would have laughed at the title - _Fifty Shades of Grey_ \- but he was too annoyed. Brett's eyes briefly scanned the page and the colour drained from his face. He snapped it shut and looked at the cover, blushing bright red. He threw it on the table. He had to hold in his laugher at that.

"Uh..." Liam stiffened as he was reminded of the presence behind him. He sighed and turned to her.

"What?"

"I was...going to ask you on a date, but I guess you already have a boyfriend."

"Yeah. I do." Liam smiled stiffly at her before remembering what he'd overheard before. "I overheard your friend. She was making serious eyes at Brett. Could you...talk to her? I don't want to let everyone know, but maybe you could tell her that he has a boyfriend."

"Sure. You might want to watch what you say to her, though, because she's always looking for things to start rumours about. Maybe it's best to endure the comments for now, at least until you're ready. So, what do you want me to do?"

Liam bit his lip. "Well, I suppose you know her better...do what you think is best."

"Okay." She smiled and left, calling back. "Have a good day!"

"You too!" He felt better, until he looked at Brett. His eyes held even more sadness than before. Liam felt guilt stir in his belly yet again. He walked over to Brett, but he moved away from Liam. "Brett! Wait!" Liam forgot that he was in a library, and was shushed by a few people.

Brett stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn to look at him. "Why are you so upset?"

Brett grabbed his hand and led him out of the library. Liam inhaled his scent, noticing that he smelled not just upset, but anguished. "If you really need to ask why, then-"

Liam turned Brett around and pulled him down into a kiss. He forgot that the girls were there. He heard some cat calls, but he ignored them.

"Why did you..."

"I'm not ashamed of you. That's not why I wanted to hold back the fact that we're together. I wanted to hide it because I'm not ready for them to know. Although I guess now they do." Brett still looked upset, but he seemed at least a little happier.

Brett smiled and led Liam back to the table he'd been at before. Liam smiled down at the book on the table. "Doing some research, are you?"

Brett blushed again, and Liam laughed. "I didn't see what I was picking up." Liam kissed his cheek quickly.

"Yeah, sure. I need to go for a minute. Just stay here, okay?" Liam let his hand trail across Brett's shoulders.

"Okay." Liam went to the bathroom. When he came back, the girl from before was draped over Brett's shoulder. Not Melissa, but the other one.

"Do you think that this word is best?" She had her arm draped over Brett's shoulders and her head was almost touching his cheek. Liam stiffened and turned away, feeling a rush of possessiveness. He'd never felt an emotion like it. It wasn't jealousy, or anger - it was a compulsion to _claim_. He was scared by it. He'd never felt anything - other than anger - so strongly.

He peeked around the corner and saw Brett looking very uncomfortable. He hadn't seen Liam yet. The girl's hair was draped across Brett's chest. Liam could smell it, and her perfume, from where he was. Underneath it, very faintly, he could smell Brett's scent -lotus, jasmine and sunflowers. The latter scent calmed Liam, soothed him. The girl finally got the message and walked away.

Liam approached gingerly, still feeling very possessive. "What did she want?"

"I've no idea. I was far too busy trying to get her to go away." Liam breathed in, not even wanting to catch a scent, but he smelled the girl all over Brett. He narrowed his eyes.

"Do you think she's a supernatural?"

"No. Why?"

"She didn't smell that strongly of perfume before, and she was deliberately getting that scent all over you."

"I'm pretty sure that was just so you knew that she was here, Liam. Look, if you want, you can rub it off me. You know how." There was a devious flash in Brett's eyes.

Liam frowned. "I'm being serious."

"So am I, Liam. She's not supernatural."

  


The rest of the day passed with Brett looking at him with concern. _At least he isn't looking like a wounded animal any more._ By the end of the day, Liam couldn't take it any more. The final bell rung and Liam dragged Brett into the locker room.

"Are you okay?" The question broke all of Liam's self-control.

"Yes. God! I'm fine!" Brett recoiled from Liam's tone of voice, and Liam felt a flash of guilt. Even so, he had things he needed to say, and this anger was going to help him say it. "I've had a _great_ day, Brett! Firstly, my boyfriend of _one day_ shows up and tells me that he's moved schools, and then he spends half the day looking like a wounded animal, and spends the other half looking at me like _I'm_ the wounded animal! So, yeah, I'm doing great! How was your day? How did it feel to have that girl drape herself over you, making you smell like her? How did it feel to smell like someone who _wasn't me_?" Liam looked up into Brett's face and felt a surge of remorse. He looked so _hurt_. Unfortunately, this made Liam only more angry.

"Stop looking like a wounded puppy! It just makes me feel so guilty! It's not helping, and the fact that I feel so...so... _possessive_ of you doesn't make things any easier, either! And...and..." Liam's anger was fading, leaving the usual despair in its place. There was also, this time, a crushing guilt which drove him to tears. "And you smelling like _her_ is driving me crazy. I'm confused and scared and...and I can't handle this." Liam covered his face with his hands.

He heard Brett swallow heavily. He felt Brett place a hand on his shoulder. He flinched, but didn't pull away. Brett slowly pulled him into a hug. He sighed when he was finally in Brett's arms. It just felt so _right_. "I'm sorry. I...I got excited. Every werewolf -born, at least - gets told that we have a mate. We also get told that it's extremely rare to find our mate. I'd almost given up on finding mine. Then you came and...I'm sorry. I promise I'll do better." There was a pause. "Do you forgive me?"

"I was actually gonna ask if you forgave me. I'm sorry I snapped like that. It's been...a long day."

"I understand. It's okay." Brett buried his nose in Liam's hair. "Do you want to take a shower with me? I don't have a towel, but that'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah, sure." Liam reluctantly pulled away from Brett and took his shirt off. Brett stripped his shirt off as well. Liam folded his shirt and took his trousers off. Brett was already undressed and went to the showers. Liam quickly took his boxers off and went to the showers with Brett.

Brett was facing the wall, face upturned to the spray. Liam came up behind him and kissed down his back. Brett shivered. "Hey."

"Hi." Liam kissed back up. "Is her smell gone yet?"

"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" Brett turned around and leaned over so that Liam could put his face in his neck. Liam inhaled and almost gagged at the perfume smell.

"Definitely still there." Liam pushed Brett up against the tiles and pulled himself up his body. He wrapped his legs around Brett's waist and his arms around his neck. He kissed the skin at the hollow of Brett's throat. Brett tipped his head back.

Liam bit and sucked the skin of Brett's neck, the bruises forming quickly and disappearing, leaving creamy white skin. The satisfaction was addictive. Brett started doing the same to him. "Come home with me." Liam whispered.

"Of course." Brett answered. Liam pushed his face into Brett's neck and breathed in. Her perfume was still there, but only just. He sighed happily, turning the water off.

"Well, then. How are we going to get dry?"

"I thought we'd just put our clothes back on and get dry at your house."

"Okay." Liam slid off Brett and got his clothes back on. It was remarkably difficult while they were wet. Brett finished dressing before Liam did, and laughed at his struggle with his jeans. "You could at least try to help." Liam grumbled. Brett smiled and told Liam to lie down. He did, and Brett fiddled with the legs until they were right.

"Try now." Liam lifted his hips and tugged on the waist, surprised by how easily they slid up his legs.

"Thanks." He got his shirt on quickly and looked at Brett. "So, how are we getting home?"

"I thought we'd run." Liam smiled. He liked that idea a lot.

  


Liam and Brett ran to Liam's house, showing up hot and sweaty. "That was fun. I wouldn't mind doing that again." He looked up at his house. "Mum and dad won't be home for a few hours yet. We should have another shower."

"Agreed."

  


Liam's door was fumbled open and Brett pushed them inside, closing the door with his foot. Liam couldn't see where they were going - he was too busy kissing Brett. Brett kept pushing him backwards until his back hit the wall. Brett put his hands underneath Liam's thighs and lifted him up. Liam felt his breath hitch. "Brett, Brett. Please." Brett bit the soft skin of his neck. "Bed." Brett took Liam's body and dropped it on his bed.

"Do you have any?" Liam gestured to his bedside drawers. Brett opened it and found what he was looking for. He opened the bottle of lube and coated his fingers. "You're sure?"

"Yes." Brett wasted no more time. He pushed one finger in. They were already naked, their clothes on the stairs. Liam moaned as Brett added another finger. "More." Brett pushed in another, kissing his cheek. "Now, Brett." Brett pulled his fingers out and coated his cock, pushing in hurriedly. If Liam had been okay with doing this before, he was eager for it now. He gripped Brett's shoulders, claws extended. He whined as Brett pushed into him again, having pulled out almost all the way just seconds before.

Liam pulled himself up so he was sitting on Brett's knees. He bit into Brett's shoulder, the marks healing over as soon as they appeared.

Brett kept thrusting up into him. Liam let out a particularly loud moan when Brett slammed his prostate. "Liam?"

Liam stiffened. "Shit. My dad's home." He raised his voice. "Uh...yeah?"

"What are you doing?" Liam felt panic rise in his chest when he heard his dad's footsteps on the stairs. "What are these clothes doing here?"

"Shit. Uh..." Liam forced his brain into action. "Get us under the covers." Brett pulled got the blanket up and over them just in time. Liam pulled Brett down on top of himself. He turned his head and saw his dad in the doorway. "Uh...hi...dad."

His step-father blinked a few times. "Are you...having sex?"

"Yes." He blinked a few more times before turning and leaving. "Oh my God." Liam covered his face with his hands. "Okay...keep going, and I guess we'll talk to him when we're done."

"Yeah..." Brett kept going, but slower. Even slow, it felt so good. Liam bit Brett's shoulder so that he wouldn't further traumatise his step-father by moaning. Brett pushed his fangs into Liam's neck as well. Brett sped up a little, and they came together. Liam released Brett's skin.

"Okay...well, none of my clothes will fit you so...I'll get them from the stairs." He pulled his clothes on and got Brett's clothes from the stairwell. He caught a brief glance of his step-father. They gingerly descended the stairs. Liam's step-father was on the couch. Liam and Brett sat opposite him. There were a few minutes of awkward silence. "Well, I guess you've met my boyfriend."

"How long have you been dating?"

"Uh...I know you probably don't want to hear this but...two days."

"Two days? That's hardly long enough."

"We knew each other before." Liam was still feeling a little conflicted about this whole thing, but he felt like he had to defend what they were doing.

"Did you at least use protection?"

"...No."

"You are grounded. For a week. I know I'm not usually allowed to make rulings like that, but I think your mother would agree with me on this one."

"Okay."

"Just okay?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah, well, I mean...I...I get where you're coming from, and I totally agree, but it still felt good. So...okay. I can handle being grounded for a week. But...now that he's here, will you at least...have dinner with him...or something? Meet my boyfriend."

"Alright. Fine." He looked at Brett. "My name's Joseph."

"Brett." Brett held out his hand for Joseph to shake. He did so reluctantly. "So, um...hi. Sorry, I don't really know what to say. I've never actually gotten to the point where I met a boyfriend or a girlfriend's parents before."

"Have you ever had sex with them on the second day?"

Brett tilted his head back, clearly thinking about it. "I've had first day, and fourth day, but not second. But then, things are kinda different this time." Brett grabbed Liam's hand and started squeezing each finger individually. "I'm planning on staying with Liam for a long time." Brett squeezed particularly hard on his pinkie.

"Brett."

Brett jumped a little and looked at Liam. "What? Oh, sorry." Liam chuckled. He'd never seen Brett look so nervous. He threaded their fingers together.

"It's okay." Liam kissed the back of his hand. "So, how was your day today?"

"Yeah, good. Except for...hang on, aren't you straight?"

Liam shrugged. "Maybe not as straight as I thought..." Liam really wanted to reverse time to twenty minutes ago. He felt heat rise in his cheeks as he remembered Brett pushing him up against the wall beside the door and kissing him like he needed him to breathe. It was kind of ironic that, since they'd broken away panting.

They'd then started walking up the stairs, clothes dropping to the floor. His step-father cleared his throat awkwardly. Liam realised that he'd slid onto Brett's lap and had started kissing him. "Sorry." He blushed and removed himself from Brett's lap. He started busying himself making dinner.

He heard brief snippets of conversation, albeit awkward, coming from the living room. He bit his lip. This was really not going the way he'd wanted it to. His heart sank even lower when his mother came home.

"And who's this fine young fellow?"

"Liam's boyfriend." Liam heard everything she was holding drop to the floor. He peeked around the corner to see what she was doing. Her eyes bored holes in his skull.

"Come out here and explain this to me."

"Well, last night, I was...in a bad place. Brett helped me and I spent the night with him, even though Mason said that I was staying with him and...kissing happened. Uh...and today...um...we spent the day together and then we came home and-"

"And they had sex. Without protection. I've grounded him for a week."

"I should think so." Liam could feel himself getting nervous again and removed himself from Brett's side before he started kissing him again. That would _not_ be helpful. Not at all.

"Oh no, mister, you get back here."

Liam knew there was no arguing with that tone. He sat himself down on the couch next to Brett, as far away as was physically possible. He would _not_ start kissing Brett in front of his mother. _He would not._

"What is this about?"

"I...I got a boyfriend and I wanted to have sex with him, so I had sex with him. I thought I had time. I thought you were coming home in a few hours."

"I meant about the protection. Why didn't you wear a condom?"

Liam could feel himself shuffling closer to Brett. He sneaked a glance at him and saw his eyebrows drawn together. "I...I just wasn't thinking about it."

"That's not good enough. You could get an STI. Not that I'm saying you have one, but I'm being cautious. You should be too."

Liam felt his legs slide over Brett's and pushed his face into his neck. His mother frowned at him. "What are you doing?"

Liam couldn't look at her any more. He pushed his face further into Brett's neck, whining. He didn't want to talk about this any more. He heard Brett growl and his head snapped up. The room froze. "What was that?"

"Oh God. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean...you just...you were distressed, and she-"

"Did you _growl_ at my mother?" Brett whimpered, lowering his head. "I do not know what to say to that. That...that isn't okay."

"I know. I'm sorry. I should say sorry to Scott too. He's your Alpha, and I growled at him."

"I'm not too worried about that. He'll get over it. But my _mother_?"

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

"I'm more worried about how his eyes flashed yellow."

"We're werewolves, mum." He flashed his own eyes at her. "Scott is too, and Brett's...he's my mate." He bit his lip and turned to face his parents. "You...know what that means, right?"

"Not really." His mother said softly.

Brett whined softly, still upset about growling at his mother, and nosed his neck. "Bite it if you want." He said to Brett, watching his step-father's eyes grow wide. Brett's scent changed to one of relief as he sank his fangs into Liam's flesh. Liam sighed happily. "Being mates...well, I'm not really sure myself, but I do know that it means that I feel possessive of him, and he feels possessive of me, hence the growling. I also know that it means that we're going to be together for a long time."

Brett's arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. The gesture had a very clear and distinct message - _mine_. Liam smiled as the familiar desire to sink his own fangs into Brett's flesh. He really preferred that flesh to be his neck, but he settled for Brett's arm. "It's not nice to bite people, Liam."

Liam let go of Brett's arm and showed his mother how it healed over in just seconds. "He's biting me. Besides, this is how we mark each other to let other wolves know that we're taken."

"Taken as in by a mate, or by a boyfriend?"

"Both, I guess. I've not really had any experience in the girlfriend slash boyfriend field."

Brett's fangs retracted and Liam whined at the loss. "Just mates. I didn't do this, or anything like it, with any of my previous girlfriends or boyfriends. This is a mate thing."

"Okay."

"No, not okay. I want to know exactly what this entails."

"Well, maybe I could call Scott. He's the one who turned me. I...I didn't want you to know at first, but I knew I'd have to tell you at some point." Liam sighed. "Can I go call Scott?"

His parents shared a look. "Alright."

Liam exited the room and got his phone from his bedside table. "Scott, I just told my parents about being a werewolf. Can you and your mum come over?"

"Yeah. Sure thing. I just need to pick her up first."

"Okay." Liam hung up and came back into the room. "Scott's coming with his mum. He just needs to pick her up first."

"Melissa knows about this?"

"Yes. She's been helping us a lot." Liam slid back onto Brett's lap, pushing back against his chest. He was still a little bit wary of how relaxed he felt in his embrace. He'd never felt so safe in anyone's arms before, and he'd never expected Brett to like him back, especially after the car incident. But here he was, pulling Liam closer protectively, kissing his cheek. "Can we just wait until Scott gets here?" Liam's nerves were frazzled, and he just needed time to let himself settle down. He pressed his face to Brett's, loving his smell.

 _At least that girl's smell is gone. Having sex was a great way to get rid of it. Should do it more often._ Liam hadn't realised that he'd started kissing Brett again, but he felt good. His muscles started relaxing and his emotions flat-lined.

"Uh...Liam, I don't really want to see you kissing your boyfriend." Liam's mother said from behind him. He turned around and looked at her, but he felt far too calm to manage any emotions.

"Yeah...I'm tired." He felt Brett start to lift him, ready to take him to bed. "Can we do...things...tomorrow?" He started nodding off even before his mother could answer. Brett was already standing, taking him upstairs. Liam felt his chest vibrate, and dully noticed that he'd said something. He let out a low moan. "Call...Scott. Tell him...tell him...not to..." He never finished his sentence - he was already asleep.


End file.
